The present disclosure relates to systems for loading loose or fluid materials into containers, and more specifically, to systems for loading bulk materials such as grain into transport bins such as grain trucks.
Prior system for loading loose or fluid bulk materials (collectively “commodity” or “commodities”) from storage bins into transport bins generally include augers, belts and/or gates (flow devices), at least some of which are operated by electric motors or other actuators, that control the flow of commodity directed into the transport bin. The actuators that thereby initiate and terminate the flow of commodity into the transport bin are generally operated by simple on-off switches or other controls. However, the vehicle carrying the transport bin, such as a tractor-trailer combination, must often be repositioned periodically during the loading process to ensure various sections of the transport bin are filled to capacity, thus requiring the operator to continuously climb in and out of the vehicle cab. Additionally, the location of the controls for the flow devices often lacks visual line of sight to the interior of the bin.
Specific to agriculture, there are over 500,000 trailers dedicated to grain transport in the US, the average age of US farmers is about 55 years, and there is increasing pressure to move large quantities of commodities within short periods of time, thus, the loading process can be burdensome and hazardous to the operator, creating issues of safety. With commodity loading systems that provide an extremely high loading rate, for example, from an overhead bin that uses a simple control gate and gravity for moving commodity into the transport bin, it is feasible to load approximately 1,000 bushels (28 tons) of grain in just over one minute. In order to safely operate such systems, two operators are required. One operator turns the gate on and off to regulate flow, and another operator periodically repositions the vehicle as various sections of the transport bin become full. Such labor costs and inefficiencies of requiring two operators are often not acceptable in industry. Dust and noise can further complicate the loading task and increase risk. Additionally, inclement weather, such as snow or rain, combined with extended loading time required if using only one operator can degrade the quality of the commodity being loaded.
Therefore, there is a need to provide for safer, more effective monitoring and control of loading of commodities into transport bins.